Mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism.



. J. G. GARLAND. MAIL BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1913.

1,1 15,657. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

wumm M WW THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTOJJTHOH WASHINGTON; D. C.

I. G. GARLAND.

MAIL BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov. 3

wi lmaoew THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHING roN, D. c.

I NITED sr trEsrArE ar JOHN G. GARLAND, or HIGH r'om'r; NQRTH cinema, Assmnoia or ONE-HALF r0 EMMET L. CROUCH Arm ONE-HALE ro 'n ivip s; 'GUBLY, sort: or HIenPo N'r,

NORTH' CAROLINA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHING an]; DELIVERING MECHANISMHF Specification of Letters Patent.

T all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN Gr. GARLA D,

citizen of the United States, residing at High Point, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Bag Catching and DeliveringfMechanism,

of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to mechanism for automatically transferring mail bags or pouches from a moving train to a-stationary support or vlce versa. 1

The invention is designed as an improvement .over an apparatus described and claimed in my application filed Feb. 21,

the two cooperate in such a novel and peculiar manner as to automatlcally and 'efi'ectually catch and support the mail bag or: pouch and at the sametime release and deliver a'second bag or pouch, both operations being effected simultaneouslyiand botlrbe 'ing controlled through the medium, of a} specially designed mail, bag support or 7 be arranged and fastened upon the mail bag; support in a manner capable of receiving 1 the mail bag or pouch to be caught, the said mechanism to be scribed- The invention still, further contemplates the provision of means including a pair of spring controlled jaws or arms adapted to bag when forced or drawn into'engagement with the said jaws adapted to instantane ously actuate the spring means for automatically closing the jaws and looking or fastening the mail bag therebetween.

v A further object ,of the invention resides in the provision of means carried by the said support and adapted; to be sir'nulta neously actuated during the receiving op oration, whereby the second "mail, bag may be automatically released and; delivered therefrom into ajsuitable receptacle or container provided therefor.

The above and additional, objects complishedby such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the'following specification and then more p'artic,-

ularly pointed out in the claims which are hereinafter fully de-I are a0- 1 appended hereto and part of this application. i i

In describing my inventionjin' detail reference will be had to the accompanying, drawingswherem like, characters denote i like or "corresponding parts throughout the several vlews, and in which :5

Figure 1 1s aperspective v ew lllustratlng the; invention in connection with a car, a showing the relat1ve position of the several parts comprising my invention; Fig.2 isa similar vlew lllustratmg the position of the vsupport as it appears in inoperative posia tiongFig. 3 1s a plan view of the support; c

and Fig. 4 isa detail perspective View of the mall bag fastening means. i I

"Referring now to the drawlngs, wherein is illustrated. the preferred: form of my ,invention the numeral 1 designatesa mail car of the ordinary type having the usual door opening 2 in one side thereof through which the mechanism comprising my invention is I projected, the said mechanism being supported in operative vposition through the medium of blocks 3 disposed oppositely, oneupon each side of the door 2, the said lateral or longitudinal movement independextenda c a a. I The support means, designated in'its en tiret'y vby the numeral 6 comprises a body portion .7 composed of a plate member having arecess. or cut outcportion 8 formed therein, the said plate member beingpivotally and loosely mounted upon the rod 1, a. Ahandle 9 isformed integrally with the body wportionz7 of the support for swinging the latter into either operative or inoperative position; .a hook member 10 beng secured inany suitable manner-to the] a ,side of: the car 11' adapted to overlap or. en-

gage the handle 9 for effectually supporting the? support 6 in operative position as-is shownto advantage in'Fig; lof the vdrawings. I

secured to the plate or body portion ofthe support 6 within the recess 8 formed therein, one of thejawsterminating at its inner extremity in a head portionx12having a g Patented Nov. '3, 1914. i Application filed June 21, 1913, T Serial lIo..?75, 046.

Clamping jaws or arms 1 1 areipivotallyj i slot 13 formed therein, the said slot adapted to engage the fastening-means designated in its entirety by the numeral 14 in a mannerto be hereinafter fully described. An enlargement 15 is formed integrally with the said last mentioned 'jaw' 11, thev said enlargement having a 1311116 projecting from one face thereof, the provision of the pin permitting the jaws to be locked in open or spaced relation by means of a lever. 17 pivoted as at 18 tothe body 7 of the support, the said lever-having anotch 19 formed therein for the reception of the pin 16 as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A

manner tothe body 7 of the support and excurved sprmg 20 1s secured in any suitable tends over one end thereof so as to engage: the enlargement 15 of oneof the clamping aws 11, this engagement between the spring and the said arm fastening or holding the latter within the notch 19 provided therefor, and, when withdrawn from engageni'ent with the said notch causing the said two jaws to automatically close for effectually clamping and fastening the mail bag caught therebetween. ,1

The head 12 of the jaw 11 having the slot 13 formed therein is adapted to register, when the jaws are in spaced relation,; with a cut-out portion 21 formed Within the body 7 of the support, the slot 13 em-? bracing the fastening means 14 of the mail; bag for locking the same within the said cut out portion, the said fastening means? having a head 22 secured thereto which is adapted to engagethe said head 12 for effec-Z tually supporting the mail bag inthe desired manner. I f

A stationary support 23 is disposed at one side of the car 1, the support having a sta -1 tionary arm 24 and a pivoted arm 25 secured thereto between which the mail bag to be caught is fastened, the center of the bag being disposed within the path of the sup port 6 when in projected or operative posi tion, thereby causing the said bag to be forced between the jaws 11 of the support and into engagement with the pivoted lever 17 mounted thereupon. As the bag engages the lever 17 ,the latter is forced out of engagement with the pin 16 of one of the jaws thereby permitting the spring 20 to instantly close the said jaws and 'atthe same time automatically release the fastening means la'by withdrawing theslot 13 of the head 12 from engagement with the fastenin}; means 14 of the mail bag orpouch to be released or delivered, this action of thejaws 11 fastening and catching the first mentioned mail bag between the jaws 11 of the support and permitting the last mentioned -mail bagto be released and delivered into the suitable receptacle provided thereforv (not shown) along the siding.

By curvingthe jaws 11 as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings it will be seen that the tension of'the spring ZO'upOn the enlargement 15 of one of the jaws willcause and that by forcing the pin 16 into engagement with thenotcii 19 of the pivot ed lever 17, the clamping jaws 11 are locked or fastened in open and spaced relation and in a manner capable of receiving the mail bag to be caught 'therebetween.

It will be further seen from the above, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings thatthe mail bag or pouch to vbe acted upon is automatically and simultaneously received and released by the coopera tion of the several embodiments comprising thesuppo-rt 6 of my device; that by pivotally mounting the'support upon the rod 14iextending transversely of the doorwayz, the said support may be swung into operative or inoperative position by withdrawing the handle 9 from engagement with the hook member 10 provided therefor; and that the means employed for supporting and fastening the mail pouch or bag upon the support memberis of such' construction as to be antomatically and simultaneously released with the receiving or catching of the mail bag by the clamping jaws 11 of the support.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred'embodiment is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption-of'my device will necessarily vary,-I desire to emphasize the fact that various-minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without"sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined'in the appended claims. I I

Having thus fully described my invent'ion,/wl1a t I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,"is: i 1 1. "A mailtransferring device bodily mov able into and out of an operative position, said device comprising a stationary jaw, a relatively movable spring actuated jaw, support means for therespective jaws, support means for the mailbag comprising a notched extension integral with the movable jaw, said extension adapted to' traverse a notch formed within the said support, a notched arm pivoted to the support, and a pin upon {the movable, jaw engageablewvith' onen'otch in the arm to maintain the jaws separated and against tension of the spring means, said arm being movable-to release the movable jaw through engagement 'of'the mail bag to be transferred therewith, as and for the purpose set forth;

2. In a mail bag transferring mechanism,

the same to open and close simultaneously,v

tion, and a lever said body the combination of apivotally supported body portion having a cut out portion formed therein, a pair of spring actuated pivotally mounted gripping jaws secured to the said body portion, the saidjaws being disposed in the path of the mail bag acted upon, a slotted head formed integrally with one of the said jaws adapted to register with the said out out portion for fastening a mail bag suspended from the said body porpivotally secured to the portion adapted to engage one of the said jaws for retaining the jaws in spaced relation, the engagement between the mail bag acted upon and the said lever adapted to simultaneously close the jaws and fasten the mail bag acted upon there between and release the mail bag suspended from the said body portion, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a mail bag transferring mechanism, a

the combination of a pivotally supported body portion, means for retaining the said body portion in operative position, pivotally mounted gripping jaws secured to the said body portion, the said. jaws being'disposedin the path of the mail bag to be acted upon,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C. r

notch, the engagement between a head formed integrally with one of the said'jaws adaptedto registerwith a cut out portioniformed within the said body-portion, a slot in the head supporting a bag suspended fromthe said body portion, a lever pivotally secured to the said body portion having a notch formed therein,

to be engaged by the said'notch for retaining the jaws in spaced relation, secured on the body portion adapted to engage one of the said jaws for automatically closing the said jaws when thepin is with drawn from engagement with the said 7 the mail bag acted upon and the said lever simultaneously close the jaws and Withdraw the slotted head from engagement with the mail bag suspended from the said body portion, as and'for the purpose set "forth.

In testimony 1 hereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. JOHN G. GARLAND.

Wi tnesses EUGENE PARRIsH, FRED P. CLARKE.

f Commissioner of Patents,

a spring a pin projecting from one of the said jaws adapted adapted to 7 

